QA as a service, explained
QA as a service (QaaS) means buying software testing as an ongoing subscription instead of building a team for it. A provider does the testing and reports back. Smoketest is the software version: an AI teammate that works from your tickets.
How QA as a service works
You pay for testing the way you pay for any other service, and it runs every sprint.
- 1
You choose a plan
You agree what gets tested and how much of it, usually by the month.
- 2
They connect to your work
The provider gets access to your staging site, test accounts, and board.
- 3
Testing runs each sprint
New work and regressions are tested without you staffing a team.
- 4
You review the results
You read what passed and failed, and decide what ships.
Three ways to buy it
QA as a service covers a staffed team, a platform you run, and now software that does the testing itself.
| Staffed QaaS | Test platform | Smoketest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Staffed QaaSA provider's testers | Test platformYour team, using the tool | SmoketestAn AI teammate |
| How you pay | Staffed QaaSA monthly retainer | Test platformBy the seat or by the run | SmoketestFrom $399 a month for 1,000 runs |
| Who writes the tests | Staffed QaaSTheir testers | Test platformYour engineers | SmoketestSmoketest, from the ticket |
| When it starts | Staffed QaaSAfter onboarding | Test platformAfter your team builds the suite | SmoketestThe day you start |
| Where results land | Staffed QaaSA report each cycle | Test platformThe tool's dashboard | SmoketestResult, recording, and steps on the ticket |
| How it scales | Staffed QaaSAdd more people | Test platformAdd more tests to look after | SmoketestWe shape the plan with you |
When each one fits
The best choice depends on who you want doing the work. Here is how we would decide.
Staffed QaaS fits when
- You want people testing on physical devices
- Your product needs human judgment on every release
- You have a monthly budget for a dedicated team
A test platform fits when
- Your engineers want to write and own the tests
- You already have people to look after a suite
- You want tests to live next to your code
Smoketest fits when
- You want each ticket tested as it reaches QA
- Nobody has time to write or look after tests
- You want a plan shaped around how your team ships
What it costs
Staffed services are priced by the people on them. Software is priced by how much it runs, so it starts lower and grows with your tickets.
Market ranges from remote.qa and BLS, May 2025. Your quote will vary.
Passed · 4 of 4 requirements · 2m 12s · Attempt 2
- ✓Admin can open Billing
- ✓Adding one seat updates the Billing page
- ✓Invoice preview shows the proration
- ✓Invoice PDF shows the same amount
Not tested: other invoice languages, because the ticket only covers English.
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Here is the service, on a real ticket.
It works from your tickets
Move a ticket to QA and it starts. There is nothing else to request.
It did not write the code
You get an independent check on every ticket, the same as an outside team.
It is shaped to your team
We set it up around how you ship, and keep changing it as your team changes.
Questions about QA as a service
Weighing other options? See them side by side
QA as a service, or QaaS, means buying software testing as an ongoing subscription. A provider handles the testing and reports the results, so you do not have to build a team for it.
Quality assurance as a service. It follows the same idea as software as a service: you pay for an ongoing service instead of building it yourself.
The two overlap. Outsourced QA usually means an agency working by the hour or the project. QA as a service usually means an ongoing subscription that keeps running every sprint.Read about outsourced QA.
It is the software version. You subscribe, and an AI teammate tests each ticket as it reaches QA. Our founder sets it up with you and keeps shaping it, and no outside testers work your tickets.
A small staffed team runs from about $8,000 to $30,000 a month. Smoketest starts at $399 a month for 1,000 runs, and we design a Scale plan with teams that need more.
It starts at $399 a month for 1,000 runs. Each run is up to 10 minutes, and a longer test counts as two runs or more, one for every 10 minutes. If your team needs more, we design a Scale plan with you, so you stop buying extra runs.
Every result links to the recording, the steps, and the reasoning, and says what it did not test, so you can check its work the way you would check a teammate's.
See what the service looks like on your board.
Book a call and we will run one real ticket with you. You get the result and the recording the same day.